Executive Functioning Tool: The Magic To-Do List

Executive functioning is at the core of everything we do: planning and plan execution, organization, goal-setting, attention, and task initiation, just to name a few.

Take ordering pizza, for example. Planning what to order is probably step one, but it’s not as simple as it sounds. You’ll likely need to gather a list of everyone’s topping preferences. Then you’ll decide on the right size for each pizza based on how many people are eating. What size do you get if two kids will only eat a bite of crust, and two teenagers are coming home from football camp?

From there, you’re really running several sub-plans at once: small, medium, or large? Which sizes for which flavors? Appetizers, drinks, dessert? You get the idea.

This isn’t just about creating a plan. It also requires organizing and making decisions. Then you have to execute the plan you’ve created, all while shifting and sustaining attention to focus on the right pieces of the pizza-ordering puzzle. For people with executive functioning deficits, initiating a task can be genuinely tough. They often find themselves wondering, “Where do I start?” Since initiating a task is step one, the rest of the plan tends to fall apart from there. The result is someone who’s overwhelmed and without pizza.

How Does Executive Functioning Relate to Language?

Our brain has the unique ability to initiate language or inhibit it. In a child with executive functioning difficulties, this process isn’t always so streamlined. Blurting out in class is a classic example of language that’s initiated but not inhibited. Our ability to plan communication based on context is crucial to how we interact with others day to day. For example, starting a conversation at the lunch table looks very different from starting one in the classroom.

Receptive Language

Language is a two-way street. We don’t just create and produce language, we also absorb it receptively. Receptive language means comprehending and processing what’s spoken to you, like following directions and asking questions. It requires executive functioning skills to sustain attention, organize language, and create plans based on what’s being said.

As a result, children struggling with executive functioning might have a hard time figuring out where to start. If your child consistently struggles to follow directions and complete tasks, an executive functioning component may be missing.

Bridging the Gap With Task Breakdown

One of the most helpful things you can do for a child with executive functioning difficulties is to take a task and break it into manageable parts. We live in an age of ChatGPT, AI, and all sorts of technology at our fingertips. Our long-term goal is for each child to independently plan and execute tasks. However, using technology as a learning tool along the way is a great option.

One executive functioning tool does exactly that: task breakdown. It’s called the “Magic To-Do List.” [Note to editor: please add the actual link to this tool before publishing, and confirm the tool name and functionality are still current.] This website lets you enter a task in the search bar, and it breaks that task down into a to-do list. Enter something like “clean my room,” and it hands you a clear breakdown of the steps needed to get it done.

You can also ask the system for a time estimate for each step, useful for building time management skills too. You can even adjust the settings to control how broken down you’d like a task to be, sometimes called its “spice” level.

Why This Executive Functioning Tool Helps

This technology is a fantastic resource for the classroom or home. Play around with the wand button, and try entering different tasks to see how the tool breaks them into parts. It can help make big tasks feel less daunting and give kids a clear starting point.

Happy to-do listing!

We’re Here to Help

If your child struggles with executive functioning, task initiation, or planning, check out our other executive functioning resources or contact our team at ETLC.